Most Scandalous Workplace Hookups

David Letterman : Female Staffers

THEFROLIC:
The talk show king uses sexual liaisons as fodder for late-night laughs, so when personal indiscretions came to light, the comic defaulted to what he knows best: jokes. Letterman’s casual confession to romping with female staffers stunned his audience, but it didn’t close the curtain on his career. Instead, his 10-minute monologue stopped a former producer from extorting $2 million to keep the affairs secret. In an industry where timing is everything, the gap-toothed comedian focused on the would-be blackmail to help take heat off his own dalliances. Instead of apologizing for cavorting with employees and cheating on his wife (whom he dated for 23 years before marrying), he painted himself the victim of a cruel scam. Way to spin it!

THEFALLOUT:
Not much. Letterman’s ratings have never been better (up 22% over his average at the same time last year), his blackmailer is behind bars, and his wife seems to have stuck around for the sake of their five-year-old boy. A spokesman for Letterman’s production company said its policy doesn’t ban booty calls between managers and employees. Looks like he’ll continue to make potshots at fellow philanderers and get off scot-free. There’s nothing a top ten list can’t fix!